River Main Cycle Route - First-class cycling on the River Main Cycle Route

The first route to be classified ‘five star’ by the German Cyclists’ Federation offers high quality from start to finish, with exemplary signposting, outstanding scenery and lots of cyclist-oriented accommodation.

The river Main begins in two places and so does this tour: you can start either with the Red Main in the Franconian Switzerland region or follow the White Main through the Franconian Forest. The route then runs through the area known as ‘God’s Garden’ in the Upper Main Valley-Coburg region to Bamberg and its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Winding its way through the Steigerwald Forest and Hassberg hills to Schweinfurt, the river then enters Franconian wine country and the Liebliches Taubertal holiday region. The tour continues through Frankfurt and ends in Mainz, where the Main flows into the Rhine.

Terrain: mostly traffic-free on well-maintained, mainly asphalt paths through primarily flat countryside. This cycle route rates highly in all criteria and is extremely well suited to cycle tours with children.

Scenery: Fichtelgebirge mountains, Franconian Forest, Coburger Land region, Steigerwald Forest, Hassberg hills, Tauber valley and Spessart-Main region. Woodland and meadows alternate with vineyards as the dominating feature of the scenery on this meandering route to the lower reaches of the Main in Hessen.

Length: 600 km

Starts: Bischofsgrün (source of the White Main), Creussen (source of the Red Main)

Ends: Mainz

Bayreuth 23 km | Mainz

About the route: mainly flat, easily managed by children, majority of route suitable for trailers